Land-roller.



No. 685,588. Patented Oct. 29, |90I.

A. 0. ESPE.

LAND ROLLER.

(Application filed Apr. 25. 1901.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet I.

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No. 685,588. Patented Oct. 291 |90I.` A. 0. ESPE.

LAND ROLLER. (Application filed Apr.` 25. 1901.1

2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

UNrrED STATES PATENT Genion.

ALBERT O. ESPE, OF CROOKSTON, MINNESOTA.

LAND-ROLLER.

SPECFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 685,588, dated October29, 1901. Application filed April 25, 1901. Serial No. 57,370. (Nomodel.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT O. EsPE, a citizen of the United States,residing as Crookston, in the county of Polk and State of Minnesota,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Land-Rollers; and Ido declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description ofthe invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which itappertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to improvements in land-rollers; and its objectis to provide a roller of this character in which the roller- Wheels aremounted so as to move freelyin a rigid frame, so as to adapt them toyield to compensate for irregularities of ground surface; also, toprovide a construction wherein the drivers seat is so disposed as toedect a perfect balance when the driver is seated therein to relieve thedraft-animals of all neck weight and to adapt the roller to be drawn andmanipulated with ease and facility.

With these and other minor objects in view, which will appear as thenature of the invention istbetter understood, the invention consists ofcertain novel features of construction, combination, and arrangement ofparts, as will be hereinafter more fully described, and particularlypointed out in the appended claiml Y In the accompanying drawings,Figure lis a top plan view of a land-roller embodying my invention. Fig.2 is a front elevation of a portion of the same, apart of the framebeing broken away to clearly disclose the con,- struction. Fig. 3 is avertical transverse section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. Llisaperspective View of so much of the roller as isy shown in Fig. 2, partsbeing broken away to disclose the construction of the seat-supportingframe. Fig. 5 is a detail top plan View, on an enlarged scale, of oneend of the rollerframe. Fig. 6 is an end View of the same. Fig. 7 is adetail view looking toward the rear end of one of the shaft-bearings.Fig. 8 is a detail side elevation of one of the shaft-bearings. Fig. 9is a rear end view of the same. Fig. 10 is a View showing thebumper-'disks upon the inner ends of the shaft-sections, and Figs. 11and 12 are respectively a side elevationand front view of one of thehangers on the said supporting-frame.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the numeral 1represents the frame of the roller, which comprises in its construc-Lion three partsto wit, a front bar or beam 2, preferably of wood, andtwo angle-iron end pieces 3, bolted or otherwise secured to said bar. Tothe rear ends of the rearwardlyprojecting arm of each of the saidangle-iron end pieces are secured U-shaped hangers or supports 4, ineach of which is mounted a cup or socket 5, which receives a ball orspherical head 6, mounted upon the ends of the roller-shaft 7. Thisshaft is divided, being composed of corresponding alined sections 8 and9, each of which is provided at its outer end with a ball or sphericalhead 6, as described, and at its inner end with a bumper head or disk10, the two bumper-disks upon the said inner ends of the shaft-sectionsbeing arranged to abut, as shown in Fig. 10, and having convex meetingfaces which adapt them to ride freely upon one another in theindependent movement of said shaft-sections. The roller-wheels 11 aremounted upon the shaft-sections at equal distances apart, and by thedescribed construction it will be readily understood that all endwisethrust Will be taken up by the bum per-disks 10 and that as theroller-wheels pass over an irregular surface or encounter obstructionseach shaftsection may yield or tilt upwardly on its ballbearingconnection with the frame, thus enabling the wheels to maintain a closecontact With the ground and to ride over obstructions without injurythereto or to the shaft or frame. By this means the use of a complicatedconstruction of cushion-frame is avoided and freedom of action of theparts most liable to in j ury-to wlt,the sh aft and wheels-insured, soas to relieve them from all injurious shocks and concussions.

Upon the center of the frame is arranged the seat-supporting and draftconnecting frame, the same consisting of a pair of side bars 12,extending from front to rear and connected at their rear ends by across-bar 13. These side bars 12 are supported from the shaft-sectionsby hangers 13', each of which has a socket or eye 14, which receives theshaft, and an angular bracket' 15, in which the side bar 12 is receivedand to which it is secured by means of bolts or other suitable IOOfastening devices, as clearly shown in Figs. 11 and 12. By this mannerof mounting the seat-supporting frame said frame is adapted to rock oroscillate upon the shaft, so as to maintain its position at all timesand to eX- ert under the weight ot the rider an effective balancingaction to relieve the draft animal or animals of all neck weight. To thefront portions of the side bars 12 are pivoted, as at 16, the lowerfront ends of the seat-supporting arms 17, which arms curve upwardly andrearwardly from their point of connection with the bars 12 and extendrearwardly beyond the cross-bar 13 and have mounted upon their rear endsthe drivel-s seat 18. The arms are suitably connected and braced bytransverse braces 19 and are supported by a standard 20, rising` fromthe said cross-bar 13, to which standard the foot-rests 21 are secured.The seat 18 is thus disposed in such manner that the weight of thedriver is thrown upon one side of the center of the frame in rear of theshaft 7, whereby the com plete balancing of the forward portion of theframe and draft attachments is insured, thus preventing the same fromfalling upon the neck ot the draft-animals- The jointed connection otthe seat-supporting frame with the main frame permits saidseatsupporting frame to swing or oscllate to compensate forirregularities in the pull ot` the draft-animals and also allows themain frame to have independent motion to compensate for irregularitiesof surface of the ground over which the roller-wheels pass.

The tongue 22 is provided at its rear end with coupling-pieces 23, whichare hinged or pivoted at 2l to the front ends of the side bars 12 of theseat-supporting framc,whereby they are adapted to swing to have alimited vertical play.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, the construction and mode of operation of myinvention will be readily understood, and it will be seen that itprovides a land-roller which embodies desirable advantages in point ofsimplicity, durability, and the mode of mounting the several partsthereof to insure ease of action and the absence of vibration, whereby ahigh degree of flexibility in the connection of the several parts issecured.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe made within the scope ot' the invention without departing from thespirit or sacrificing any of the advantages thereof.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

In a land-roller, the combination of a main frame, a divided shaft, U-shaped hangers upon the ends of the fra-me, cups supported by saidhangers, balls upon the outer ends of the axle-sections and seated insaid sockets, roller wheels upon the axle sections, and bumper-disksupon the inner ends of said axle-sections, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof Lhave hereunto set my hand in presence of twosubscribing witnesses.

ALBERT O. ESPE.

Vitnesses:

BURT G. WALKER, JAMES CULLEN.

